Dairy Farmer articles from September 2007

Dairy Farmer archives from September 2007

COMMENT: Force majeure.(dairy industry, a view)(Editorial)(Brief article)
September 20, 2007... At last... at last... at last, things are starting to move in the right direction as the growing realisation that milk is short, both nationally and globally, begins to focus buyers' minds. And so it should. If the RABDF breakeven figure...

Benchmark looking set to hit 25p for autumn milk prices.
September 20, 2007... It is beginning to look that 25ppl will be the benchmark figure for direct supply liquid milk contracts from Oct'07, reports Milkprices.com Price increases in August have picked up momentum after firstly Meadow Foods confirmed its 25ppl...

Unrest grows as DFB chalks up massive losses of #6.2m.(Dairy Farmers of Britain)(Financial report)(Brief article)
September 20, 2007... Dairy Farmers of Britain has posted a #6.2m after tax loss for its 2007 milk year after including exceptional costs of #1.7m relating to the closure of Cardiff Dairy and #4.2m of "amortised goodwill". Turnover of the group was #557.8m,...

Brokers set to launch their plans.
September 20, 2007... With the slow speed of price increases filtering through, more and more producers are believed to be tempted to resign their contracts and sign up with the newly formed brokering groups. One group - known as The Milkmen and led by former...

United auction hits record highs.
September 20, 2007... United Dairy Farmer's milk auction hit an all time record in August with 27m litres selling for an average price of 34.66ppl, 16.24ppl up on the 33m litres sold last year and 5.95ppl up on the July auction. On the basis that United's chief...

Calf meetings.
September 20, 2007... Dairy Farmer in conjunction with Intervet, manufacturer of Bovilis? Bovipast RSP, and our sister title Farmers Guardian are pleased to announce our autumn series of calf health meetings. We'll be looking at all aspects of calf rearing from...

More pressure on price as supplies get tighter.
September 20, 2007... Price rises for dairy products are inevitable, but now shortages are starting to rear their head and they are likely to get worse as milk supplies crash. While small independent retailers in particular could struggle to secure all the...

Cheese price up by #400/tonne.
September 20, 2007... Cheese prices have jumped in leaps and bounds recently and the gains are finding their way back to farmers. Milk Link increased its August price by 0.75ppl, with possible bonuses on top taking the total to 1.2ppl. First Milk raised its price...

Dairying on track to meet environmental expectations.
September 20, 2007... Dairy farmers are meeting the UK's climate change reduction targets according to an initial study by Kite, commissioned by ASDA, Arla and Dairy Crest. Kite estimates dairy farming's carbon emissions have fallen by 12% over the last decade,...

World markets driving winter feed bills up.(Brief article)
September 20, 2007... The need for "several pence worth" of milk price rises has been graphically illustrated recently by feed compounder BOCM PAULS which estimates that world market prices for ingredients will increase winter feed bills by #40 a tonne this winter....

We need fair lift in milk price if we're to invest in business.
September 20, 2007... This month Tim Gibson weighs up all his long-term options as he buys in 10 new heifers, thinks about moving his milk contract and wonders whether his #11,000 water bill may well explain some of the flooding in the South! Well what a week!...

We must not allow ourselves to become a scapegoat for FMD.
September 20, 2007... This month Sally Leaney wonders whether we have learnt all the lessons from the last foot-and-mouth outbreak of six years ago and who will eventually end up carrying the can for this one? At the time of writing this article foot-and-mouth...

Why I have now been banned as the ideas man in our family.(Paul Higgins's view on weather of this summer)
September 20, 2007... With the cows in and out like yo-yos, Paul Higgins finally gets a few days off... but even then it's not without its problems! I feel I really can't do this article without a mention of the weather this summer. I would never have believed...

Letter: We producers are stuck in an unfair feudal economic system.(Letter to the editor)
September 20, 2007... From: Philip Poulsom, Wormwood Farm, Fiveways, Box, Corsham, Wiltshire SN13 8JG. The failure of the UK farm-gate price for milk to reflect the recovery in world market prices needs to be better explained. Industry leaders have always said...

Why producers are not prepared to be ripped off any longer.
September 20, 2007... With the biggest turn round in the recent history of milk marketing, Ian Potter applauds those who are standing up for themselves and demanding a fair return for their produce. As I write, the Bravehearts of mainland GB are still the Scots...

DAIRY EVENT: Why recent milk price hike is only scratching the surface.
September 20, 2007... Although milk prices have admittedly gone up from where they were, a lot more is needed to bring businesses back from the recent knife edge scenario. Promar dairy consultant Derek Gardner gives us a measure of the level of price increase which...

DAIRY EVENT: Milk: It's anxious moments for Gold Cup finalists.
September 20, 2007... Six dairying finalists are on tenterhooks in the run-up to the Dairy Event waiting to see if they have made it through to take the prestigious NMR/RABDF Gold Cup. First time in the arena is Tim Gue from Steyning, West Sussex, who farms in...

DAIRY EVENT: Stop feeding for production and start feeding for profit.(Conference news)
September 20, 2007... To start feeding for profit we need to look more closely at the composition of our cows' diets and think about putting more emphasis on effective fibre. Independent nutritionist Peter Allen looks at what ingredients we should be paying...

DAIRY EVENT: How long will pressure continue to drive premium prices?
September 20, 2007... Although the market is at last moving towards a fairer producer milk price, few would ever have envisaged that the premium market would have been overtaken by commodities. David Levick from Kite Consulting tells us how he sees the future. ...

DAIRY EVENT: Collar recorder will give boost to heat detection figures.
September 20, 2007... A new electronic heat detection system which monitors cow activity will be on show for the first time at this year's event. Angela Rhodes reports on this new development. Cattle breeding company Semex has signed an exclusive agreement with...

DAIRY EVENT: Mating program that will look back over seven generations.(Genus ABS's genomate system)
September 20, 2007... Genus ABS will be a launching a computer mating program which will not only help farmers select the right production and type sires, but also help them select bulls with the best fitness traits for their herd. The GMS Genomate system was...

DAIRY EVENT: Breeding: On-line dealing slashes price of French semen.(Brief article)
September 20, 2007... Top French and US genetics are to be sold at little over wholesale prices by new marketing company Farmer to Farmer. The company, described as a marketing platform for farmers, was set up by Lancashire cattle breeder John Loftus and his...

DAIRY EVENT: PLI changes starting to show in shake up of rankings.
September 20, 2007... Major changes to the way in which the UK Productive Life Index (PLI) is calculated has caused quite a shake-up in the August bull proofs with the definite advantage going to sires with good components and better than average health and fitness...

DAIRY EVENT: Latest releases from Bullsemen.com.(Brief article)
September 20, 2007... On-line semen sales company Bullsemen.com has also had a good run on the new PLI system, particularly with the Jocko Besne son Jesfa, who now has a Top 30 place in the rankings. The bull has improved on his type and production proof since May...

DAIRY EVENT: Breeding: Cattle judges announced.
September 20, 2007... As a hands-on producer himself, judge for the Holsteins, Elwyn Thomas, is pretty sure what he will be looking for. "I shall be looking for sound functional cows for the everyday farmer at the Dairy Event," he says. "Cows that can walk...

DAIRY EVENT: Breeding: Gender biased semen launched.
September 20, 2007... Gender biased semen, said to produce around 10 per cent more heifer calves, has been launched by World Wide Sires UK. Under the brand Bovatel, the semen will be available for all bulls from the US stud Accelerated Genetics, which accounts...

DAIRY EVENT: Breeding: Top UK proven bull from Cogent.(Brief article)
September 20, 2007... In addition to good performances from existing sires, Cogent has also produced the top new UK proven bull in the latest proof run. Cogent Desmond is a high production Ricecrest Marshall son, offering just over 700kg milk and +63kg combined fat...

DAIRY EVENT: Forage & Grassland: IGER and the environment.
September 20, 2007... The Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research has been heavily involved in projects geared at reducing the environmental footprint of farming, so visitors to their stand can expect to see an emphasis on this sitting alongside their...

DAIRY EVENT: Variable maize year to result in less cob and starch.
September 20, 2007... Maize harvest is likely to be a hot topic at this year's event and against this backdrop, NIAB maize specialist Don Pendergrast who is in charge of the NIAB descriptive list trial sites, puts the national picture in perspective. "This is...

DAIRY EVENT: Dairy farmers can counter hike in winter feed price.
September 20, 2007... Dairy farmers facing a double price hike for winter feed this year as global markets push up the cost of both cereals and protein should re- evaluate the benefits of Alkalage and Oxylage, according to consultant Malcolm Graham. "These two...

DAIRY EVENT: Forage & Grassland: Producing more from home-grown forage.(British Seed Houses)(Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research)(Brief article)
September 20, 2007... BSH (British Seed Houses) in combination with IGER will be showing off new red clover breeding lines due for release in Spring 2008. One on- going observational grazing trial at Walford and North Shropshire College, near Shrewsbury, has already...

DAIRY EVENT: Forage & Grassland: Looking at your soil in a new light.
September 20, 2007... Kingshay Farming Trust will be repeating their double presence at the show with the "bring a sod" soil sample analysis run in conjunction with Jo Scamell of Ground Level Nutrition in this year's Forage for Livestock section. Soil condition is...

DAIRY EVENT: Clean grazing should be a top priority.( Dow AgroSciences )
September 20, 2007... Clean pastures and improved grazing is the focus for Dow AgroSciences stand. All the latest products, including the broad-spectrum herbicide Forefront, will be on show. "Grassland is a valuable crop for both forage and grazing for farmers...

DAIRY EVENT: Battling against cell counts and weather issues.
September 20, 2007... Microbial and enzyme wizards Biotal UK will be prepared for an onslaught of potential weather related mycotoxin issues from farmers at their stand and will also be explaining the benefits of a new approved source of selenium that can lower cell...

DAIRY EVENT: Top grassland producers can make extra 2p per litre.
September 20, 2007... Don't just reap the unusually plentiful supplies of autumn grass this season without thinking about the foundations for next spring, will be the warning from the BGS stand. Last year's Dairy Event saw the BGS stand flagging up figures from...

DAIRY EVENT: Maize Growers Association forms a chop length treaty.
September 20, 2007... A chop length treaty between contractors and farmers is being drafted at the MGA (Maize Growers Association) stand this year. The battle lines have long been drawn with contractors keen to minimise machinery wear and "get the job done"...

DAIRY EVENT: Digestion of maize.
September 20, 2007... This year's theme on the David Bright stand will be "Putting The Cow First" and will feature work done by nutritionist Bruce Woodacre in conjunction with Edinburgh University. This will establish how different types of maize behave in the...

DAIRY EVENT: Cob clinic.(Advanta Seed Corp.)(Brief article)
September 20, 2007... The ever popular Cob Clinic will be making its appearance at the Advanta Seeds stand in Cattle Shed 5 where growers are encouraged to bring six maize cobs, picked that morning, to the stand for an on-the- spot assessment of harvesting date. ...

DAIRY EVENT: Overseeding injects new life into swards.
September 20, 2007... Getting more from your grassland is the key message from Oliver Seeds. The specialist grass and forage seed business will be highlighting over- seeding that could add #100 per acre to old grassland and also a new maize variety with a high milk...

DAIRY EVENT: Alternative to atrazine.
September 20, 2007... The search for alternatives to atrazine has seen Bayer CropScience's first product developed specifically for use in maize crops called Cadou Star. It was released this spring and its first season's results will be available for scrutiny on the...

DAIRY EVENT: Dry matter sensor gives more accurate readings.
September 20, 2007... A revolution in forage harvesting will be on display at both the John Deere stand and the HarvestLab stand in the Forage for Livestock area in Exhibition Hall 4. JD product manager Richard Halsall will demonstrate the HarvestLab dry matter...

DAIRY EVENT: Health & Nutrition: Cattle health should be priority.
September 20, 2007... Getting a grip of cattle health should be a high priority on every farm and a major Farm Health Planning exhibition at the Dairy Event is designed to assist farmers in the process. The exhibition is the most significant event so far to...

DAIRY EVENT: Health & Nutrition: First time for NML.(National Milk Laboratories)(Brief article)
September 20, 2007... National Milk Laboratories (NML), a sister company of NMR, will be exhibiting at the Dairy Event for the first time this year, taking part in the Farm Health Planning exhibition as a sponsor of this area. Focussing on their health testing...

DAIRY EVENT: Health & Nutrition: Online Calf Club is launched by Volac.
September 20, 2007... Volac International's recently launched Calf Club - an on-line management tool specifically designed for farmers with computerised calf feeding systems - will be available to view on the company's stand at the Dairy Event. Also accessible...

DAIRY EVENT: Health & Nutrition: Silage analysis.
September 20, 2007... Take some grass silage to this year's Silage Clinic and you can not only have it analysed but you'll be in with a chance to win an award if your silage is top-notch quality. Farmers will receive details of the analysis within two hours and...

DAIRY EVENT: Pfizer campaign to `clean up' and `seal up'.
September 20, 2007... Pfizer's campaign to `clean up, seal up' will be a major feature of the company's stand at the Dairy Event, where vets will be on hand to discuss the benefits of using a teat sealant alongside an antibiotic as a routine part of dry cow therapy....

DAIRY EVENT: Health & Nutrition: Ways of lifting feed efficiency.
September 20, 2007... Ask pig farmers to name the most important performance measurement and they will say efficiency of feed use. Adrian Packington of DSM Nutritional Products believes dairy farmers need to take a leaf out of their book. Mr Packington stresses...

DAIRY EVENT: Health & Nutrition: Rumen efficiency additive launch.
September 20, 2007... A feed additive which is said to improve the efficiency of rumen function is to be launched by SCA NuTec at the Dairy Event. And the company claims its use can increase milk production by around two litres a day in early and mid-lactation, and...

DAIRY EVENT: Health & Nutrition: Measuring worm burden in cattle.
September 20, 2007... Visitors to the Dairy Event will be able to sign their herd up for Merial's new test which measures the level of worm burden in cattle. The test measures antibodies produced by the cow in response to an infection by the common gutworm,...

DAIRY EVENT: Health & Nutrition: Turning water into Aqualution.
September 20, 2007... We've all heard of turning water into wine, but turning it into dairy chemicals with a powerful cleaning action sounds an unlikely gift even for hard-pressed farmers. But this is effectively what a new system being launched at the Dairy...

DAIRY EVENT: New wood bedding improve's cow's cleanliness and health.(easicattle from Hadfield Wood Recyclers)(Brief article)
September 20, 2007... A new bedding being launched at the Dairy Event is said to be healthier and cleaner for cows and lower the risk of infection owing to its reduced bacterial and fungal content and its ability to inhibit bacterial growth. Called easicattle,...

DAIRY EVENT: Reducing your feed costs by improving balance of minerals.
September 20, 2007... Many dairy farmers are over-feeding and wasting minerals, according to Trouw Nutrition, and a visit to the company's stand at the Dairy Event could offer many the opportunity to reduce their feed costs or improve production. Trouw is...

DAIRY EVENT: Health & Nutrition: How's your herd?( Dairy Event by Kingshay)
September 20, 2007... Low cost solutions to high cost problems are the essence of a new service being launched at the Dairy Event by Kingshay. It's all about stress, which is said by Kingshay to be `the hidden performance suppressor'. Called `How's my herd?',...

DAIRY EVENT: Health & Nutrition: Protection from coccidial infections.
September 20, 2007... Dairy farmers who suspect that coccidial infections may be the cause of depressed performance and/or diarrhoea in calves can find out more at the Dairy Event about a newly licensed coccidiocide from Bayer Animal Health. Called Baycox...

DAIRY EVENT: Health & Nutrition: Quality home-grown forage.(Alan Sayle Associates)(Brief article)
September 20, 2007... Maximising use of home-grown forage is very much in the mind of Alan Sayle Associates who believe they can help with a new product concept. Combining on-farm production of oxylage (made from grass, clover and other green crops) with the...

DAIRY EVENT: Health & Nutrition: High quality calcium soap.
September 20, 2007... A new protected fat is being introduced this autumn which has been formulated to plug the energy gap in early lactation cows. Designed to complement the well-known Energizer-RP10, Energizer Gold is described as a high quality calcium soap made...

DAIRY EVENT: `Fat Clinic' to help identify nutritional requirements.
September 20, 2007... A dairy cow fat nutrition clinic will be run at this year's Dairy Event by Volac International. `The Volac Fat Clinic' aims to help producers identify the optimum protected fat product for their system and production requirements and discover...

DAIRY EVENT: The importance of composition in formulating diets.
September 20, 2007... The importance of formulating diets based on physical as well as chemical composition will be demonstrated by NWF Agriculture at the Dairy Event. "Farmers are used to formulating rations to deliver the correct balance of nutrients but new...

DAIRY EVENT: Health & Nutrition: New barrier teat dip launched.
September 20, 2007... A new barrier teat dip being launched at the Dairy Event by Johnson Diversey is said to combine rapid bacterial kill with teat conditioning and protection. Deosan Mastocide is designed for post-milking use and combines the biocidal power...

DAIRY EVENT: Health & Nutrition: Benefits of using Yea-Sacc.
September 20, 2007... New results from the use of Yea-Sacc1026 will be unveiled at the Dairy Event, which show that the benefits of using this live yeast product can be seen right through to the end of lactation. Improved milk production of 1.5 litres/cow/day...

DAIRY EVENT: Health & Nutrition: NuTec fertility management programme.(SCA NuTec)(Brief article)
September 20, 2007... A fertility management programme launched by SCA NuTec last year will be reported in more detail at this year's event. On-farm results from the programme - based on feeding specific ingredients at certain times, and designed to increase...

DAIRY EVENT: Combatting problems from high potash levels.
September 20, 2007... A new dry cow supplement formulated to combat the problems that result from high potash levels in certain forages will be launched at the Dairy Event by Realistic Agri. Called Drycare 1, this new product contains higher levels of magnesium...

DAIRY EVENT: Working demos - putting machines through their paces.(farm machinery displays)
September 20, 2007... If the early signs are anything to go by then this year's Dairy Event will be packed with machinery. Steven Vale takes the lid off some of the expected highlights. Leading the displays will be a mixer wagon demonstration featuring machines...

DAIRY EVENT: Machinery: Agco Massey Ferguson tractors.
September 20, 2007... There will be a number of tractor suppliers at this year's show. At the time of going to press the list of potential candidates included Claas, Landini, McCormick, John Deere, JCB, Kubota and Agco (Massey Ferguson, Valtra and Fendt). ...

DAIRY EVENT: Machinery: Simba Spread-A-Bale.(Simba International's Spread-A-Bale SBL R1.6 SD straw shredder )(Brief article)
September 20, 2007... Weighing in at just 530kg, the Simba Spread-A-Bale SBL R1.6 SD straw shredder can be fitted onto a telehandler or 1500kg capacity tractor loader and, most importantly, measures just 2.4m wide so it should be able to squeeze down most building...

DAIRY EVENT: Machinery: Lely Voyager.(solar-powered units for managing grazing pastures)(Brief article)
September 20, 2007... Billed as a system that takes strip grazing to a new level, the Lely Voyager grazing robot will be on display. The two solar-powered units can be seen managing grazing pasture by controlling the amounts made available to the herd. As well...

DAIRY EVENT: Machinery: Kuhn Farm Machinery.
September 20, 2007... Kuhn Farm Machinery will expand its Euromix vertical auger diet feeder range with a new 18cu m twin vertical auger model. The shape of the body and position of the augers produces a low power requirement of just 5 hp/cu m. Each auger is...

DAIRY EVENT: Will milk price rise be enough to counter cost for plans?
September 20, 2007... With milk prices certain to be a major talking point at this year's Dairy Event later this month, Dairy Farmer asked HSBC's head of agricultural services for his insight into investing for the future. Dairy farmers have had a rough ride on...

DAIRY EVENT: Why restructuring loans can pay handsome dividends.
September 20, 2007... Paul Spencer, head of AMC, reckons that many dairy farmers are now looking seriously at investment options. "Investment has been on hold on many dairy farms for the past few years as producers have struggled to keep afloat in the face of...

DAIRY EVENT: Finance: Tenants rely on good track record.
September 20, 2007... Dick Mason, senior agricultural manager with Lloyds TSB, agrees that the climate for investment is improving with rising prices and believes that tenant farmers in particular will be relieved at the market upturn. "It is interesting to...

Milk prices: Cheesemakers starting to fall in line on prices front.
September 20, 2007... Running in the order of price announcements, North Devon Farmhouse Cheesemaker, Parkham Farms, was the first dairy company to break through the 21ppl barrier, with increases of 1ppl for both Aug'07 and Sept'07, taking our price for them to...

Milk prices: DFB Local Choice can not be included as amounts unknown.
September 20, 2007... We have several new milk prices starting this month including Arla Foods and RWD supplying Tesco. These companies started paying 22ppl for our standard litre from July. As far as their position in our 12 month ranking goes, in the case of...

Milk prices: Catch up time for DC suppliers.
September 20, 2007... Dairy Crest suppliers on Aspatria and Haverfordwest contracts are to receive the same 0.4ppl Jul'07 increase, in line with the previously announced July increase paid to Davidstow and Hartington suppliers. With milk prices seemingly locked up...

Milk Link boosts `B' litres.
September 20, 2007... Milk Link members have the chance to increase their milk price by as much as a total of 1.2ppl starting from Aug'07. With the first instalment, all members will receive 0.75ppl increase from next month across all Milk Link contracts...

Co-ops have to pitch in on price.
September 20, 2007... Although no co-op has yet declared a producer price for October, it is likely that they will be forced to pitch around 25ppl, and maybe more by October/November. That said, it will very much depend on what the major customers in the cheese...

Workshop tips: How to make your own concrete mixer but just take care!
September 20, 2007... Building your own concrete mixer is not difficult but this month's tip requires care. Mike Donovan is a respected machinery columnist who will be giving us some useful tips on building or modifying our own farm equipment. This month I...

Good Evans: Funny, no-one cared about our costs of production before.
September 20, 2007... This month Roger Evans tells us how he is heartened by the firming market but nevertheless is warning everyone not to let the deep felt frustration further fragment the industry. I am never confident when attributing dates to events in the...